


Break Ups, Make Ups, and Heart Breaks

by teamchasez



Category: JC Chasez - Fandom, NSYNC, Pop Music RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 15:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16020398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamchasez/pseuds/teamchasez
Summary: After JC Chasez pushes back their wedding date again, Ashley has enough and breaks off the engagement.





	Break Ups, Make Ups, and Heart Breaks

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in 2015 for the Valensync challenge on NSYNC Archive.

"Are you serious?" Ashley stared up at JC. The table between them was covered with magazines in an organized chaos that only she could decipher.

"Yes," JC moved around the table and knelt next to Ashley's chair. He took her hand in his. "You know how much this means to me. To get back in the studio. To start releasing new music. Eventually start touring."

"I know," Ashley pursed her lips. She felt the tears building and she looked down at her lap and tried unsuccessfully to blink them away. 

"Don't cry, Ash," JC murmured softly. He cupped the side of her head and pulled her to rest on his chest.

"You're canceling the date again JC."

"We'll pick another one. This time we won't change it."

Ashley laughed bitterly and sat up, pulling away from JC. She reached across the table to a box hidden beneath a couple magazines spread open revealing white flowing gowns. "You know what this is, JC? These are the wedding invitations. You know with the date on them that you're canceling."

"We can order new ones."

"This is our wedding JC. We have set four wedding dates and each time 'something has come up'. I don't even know why I bothered with this." She tossed the box down in top of the magazines. "I don't know why I actually thought we would get married this time."

"We're gonna get married, Ashley," JC said. He knew Ashley would be mad but he knew she'd understand. Things came up that couldn't be avoided; opportunities that couldn't be squandered. "We'll just push the wedding back six months."

"Six months," Ashley sighed shaking her head. 

"I promise," JC reached out and turned Ashley to face him. On his knees, he promised, "just six months."

"No." Ashley shook her head again. "No," she raised her head to look at JC. His eyes were wide in surprise. He wasn't expecting her to refuse. "I was alright when this happened the first time. I was okay with it the second time. The third time I was pissed JC. Each time you promised me it would be the last time and each time you came to me with apologies of something else that came up."

"I know but..."

"This is our wedding JC. I thought you wanted to get married."

"I do want to get married! To you!"

"If you wanted to get married then we would have gotten married a year ago when we originally set a date. I don't think you want to."

"Ash, that's not..."

"I can't do this anymore JC. I can't keep getting excited. Each time I start planning our wedding I can't get excited because I know in the back of my mind something will come up again and you'll cancel."

"I'm not canceling!" JC said frustrated.

"Then tell them no! Tell them you can't do it because you're getting married to this awesome girl you love and you're not canceling the wedding again on her."

Ashley stared at JC; her eyes pleading JC to relent, to give in to her demands. The more he opened and shut his mouth, the more her heart shattered. 

"I can't..." He finally whispered. 

"Then I can't marry you.

*~*

"Alright," Jeff tossed down the pencil. It skidded across the papers. His left hand dropped from the guitar as he leaned on it. "What's going on with you man?"

"What are you talking about?" JC asked as he continued working through the melody on the piano. He'd been holed up with Jeff working on new songs for his album.

"Right," Jeff laughed. "You come in here looking like crap. What you've come up with sound like they're going to be played at a funeral. What gives?"

"Just want these to be great. It's my last chance," JC said without looking at his friend. He tried playing the melody again and made an effort to make it poppy and upbeat. 

"It's not your last chance dude." Jeff rolled his eyes. "You're gonna knock everyone off their feet. Be wondering why they've been tripping over Timberlake instead of you. You'll have everyone beating down your door to work with you."

"Yeah."

Jeff sat his guitar on the ground, leaning it against the arm of the couch. "How about we knock off early? You go home and show your girl your ugly mug." His face twisted when JC hit a sour note. "Trouble in paradise? Did Ashley turn in to bridezilla?" He laughed. When JC failed to join, he frowned. "What's up JC? Come on man. What's going on?"

JC stared at the piano keys. He hadn't told anyone what had happened. When ask, he lied and said Ashley was back east visiting family though he had no idea where she was. She packed up a few things and walked out. It was his house originally; she had moved in with him. They had been living together for so long a lot of items in the house were theirs, purchased together. Things had stopped being his and hers a long time ago. Most of her things were still in the house. If he tried hard enough he could imagine she was just visiting family like he told people. Except when he crawled in to bed at night and held the diamond ring in his hand; the lie was shattered.

He dropped his hands from the keys and his shoulders slumped. He thought for sure after Ashley calmed down she'd come back. If not that night then the following morning. The morning after the fight he had dreamt of her crawling into bed while he slept. She would kiss him awake while apologizing for getting so angry. He woke up alone with a heavy weight on his chest. 

"JC?"

JC started, forgetting Jeff was even there. "I think I am gonna cut out early."

"You sure you're okay?" Jeff wasn't too convinced when JC nodded and stood but he said nothing and let the older man leave with an, 'I'll see ya tomorrow.'

JC let himself into his house. The silence hit him. It was too quiet. He couldn't stand it. His steps faltered walking by the dining room table. Magazines still cluttered the top as if Ashley had just stepped away for a moment. Her planner laid open with all sorts of notes and appointments. Taking a look, he realized a few appointments had passed. Cake testing, dress fitting, flower appointment. Venue walk through.

Magazines were open to dresses. Ashley had her dress bought from nearly the moment he proposed. She had fallen in love with 'the one' on the first dress shopping trip. Bridesmaids dresses were another story. She hadn't been able to find a design she liked. A smile crossed his face when he remember the argument they had about the dresses. She hadn't taken too kindly to him telling her they didn't matter.

He walked away from the table and collapsed on the sofa with a sigh. What the hell had happened to his life? How did it come to this? How had he ended up alone? There were moments he would get angry. Angry that she had left him. Angry that she made him choose between her and music; two of his biggest loves. How was he to choose? Why did he have to choose? Why couldn't he have both? Why couldn't he have a wife and a music career?

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Opening his text messages he saw there were none from Ashley. He wasn't surprised. 

'Can we talk?' 

He sent the text message, watching as it quickly sent. A few seconds later he sent another. 'Please.'

Then he stared at his phone waiting for the three dots to appear alerting him that she was replying but they never did. Minutes passed, then hours. No response came.   
How could he fix this? How could he get Ashley back?

*~*

"What are you doing here?" Ashley gripped the door knob in her hand and fought to stop herself from closing the door... Or jumping into his arms. 

"You weren't answering my calls or texts," JC stared at Ashley, drinking her in. It had been three weeks since he'd seen her last. 

"Did you stop and think that maybe I didn't want to talk to you?" It hurt to look at him; to have him so close to her. She wanted to reach out and touch him. She wanted to wrap her arms around his waist and snuggle against his chest. She wanted to breathe in that feint cedar scent she loved so much. She had to force herself to remember the hurt she felt all those times he pushed back the wedding. 

"I'm sorry Ash," JC put his hands in the pocket of his jeans. He had plenty of words to say on his commute to Northern California to the small cottage located almost on the Oregon border that belonged to a distant relative of Ashley's. Now that he was standing in front of her, the words disappeared. 

"How did you find me?"

"A lot of groveling and tears. Lots of promises. I think I have to have Justin call your mother's best friend's son's daughter or something like that," he laughed softly. He rubbed the back of his neck when Ashley failed to smile. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Can I come in and talk?"

"We don't have anything left to say JC."

"The hell we don't! I love you Ashley. These past three weeks have been the worst weeks of my life. I kept waiting for you to come back home. I kept waiting for you to call or text to tell me you were coming home. I can't sleep. I keep staring at the empty space beside me. I can't write. Nothing strings together how it's supposed to. Everything is just blank. I need you."

"You'll be fine once you get in the studio and start recording," Ashley told him, fighting to stay strong. She wasn't going to be strung along again. She wasn't going to fall back into his spell. Even though she couldn't sleep either. Even though she stared at the empty pillow beside her. Even though she hugged that empty pillow to her chest every night and closed her eyes imagining it was JC. 

"I backed out." JC said softly looking down at the ground.

"What?" Ashley whispered in shock. "What did you say?"

"I said I backed out," JC raised his eyes to meet hers. "I told them I didn't want to record any more."

"Well that was the stupidest thing you have ever done."

JC shook his head. "No. The stupidest thing I have ever done was letting you walk away."

A lump rose in Ashley's throat and she felt tears build in her eyes. "That was a cheesy line."

JC shrugged. "It's the truth. I'm a moron Ash. I should have never pushed back the wedding the first time. Music is always gonna be here. You're not. Somewhere along the way I realized that. I thought you'd always be there and I started taking advantage of you. I didn't realize..." He shook his head. "I know 'I'm sorry' isn't much, but it's all I've got. You're more important to me than music. Even when I wasn't treating you that way."

Ashley left the protection of the door and stepped out on the porch. Tears had escaped and trailed down her cheeks. The steel band she had around her heart since she left JC started to loosen. She stood in front of him staring into his eyes searching for anything, something that would alert her to the heartache she was opening herself up to. 

"Then marry me, JC."

"Right now," JC worked hard to stay calm. He wasn't sure where this was going - to the alter he hoped - it could turn at any moment.

Ashley smiled. She looked above his shoulder at the fading sunset. "I think it's too late to find someone to marry us."

"We'll drive to Vegas." He took a step closer. Barely a whisper separated them. He leaned on the balls of his feet. His hands itched to reach for her. His arms begged to hold her.

"Mmm," Ashley murmured leaning toward JC. "*NSYNC's JC Chasez Gets Married By Elvis In Las Vegas; Spends Honeymoon Seeing Bandmate Joey Fatone In Rock Of Ages."

"Joey will have no part of our honeymoon," JC replied just as lowly. Their lips were centimeters apart. 

"Are you gonna kiss me or not?" Ashley whispered, swaying forward.

"That depends... Do you forgive me?"

Instead of answering, Ashley leaned forward and pressed her lips to JC's. His arms immediately wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his body. She snaked hers around his neck. One hand threaded through his hair. Pulling away she said, "Let's go Chasez."

"To Vegas?" JC asked surprised. 

Ashley laughed, tossing her head back. "Take me home."

JC grinned and kissed her again. "I will. But first," he said letting her go. She looked at him confused, but he smiled at her as he reached into his pocket before dropping to one knee. "Will you marry me Ashley? Here. Vegas. LA. I don't care."

The diamond blurred in front of her as tears filled her eyes once more. She didn't care. She nodded as a sob escaped and she felt JC slid her ring back in her finger where it belonged. When he stood up he drew her into a hug, holding her while she cried. 

"I love you Ashley," JC whispered against her hair. "I love you more than anything." 

"Let's get married here," Ashley said picking her head up from his chest. She brushed at the tear marks she made against his shirt. "Right here at this house where we came together again. You. Me. Our families."

"Perfect," JC said leaning down to kiss her. "Tomorrow?"

"JC my mother loves you and would walk on a floor full of Legos before harming a hair on your head but even she would kill you if you make her rush from Virginia to California on less than a day's notice. I would too considering my dress is still hanging in our closet. I think..."

"Everything is right where you left it. I didn't touch anything." JC promised. "I didn't even look at your dress." He pulled her back against him. "I wanted the first time I see that dress was with you in it and walking toward me on your father's arm while your mother cried."

"I love you JC." She kissed him.

"I love you." JC said when the kiss broke. "Now, I believe you wanted me to take you home?"

Ashley grinned. "Lead the way."


End file.
